12 hours late

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday eve.  I fell asleep.

I actually spent yesterday cleaning my room and filing.  Two things I hate more than most anything I can think of.  Which is why it takes me so long when I do get a round tuit.

Found it

I put away my summer bed spread and switched to the winter one.  I put away all of the clutter that finds its way around the room, and I rearranged the filing cabinet to make room for more.  I still have to do the (shudder) closet.  It's a nightmare.

my closet

Yes, Freddy could well be hiding in it.  That is the biggest draw back to this house.  No storage space.  I really should haul a lot of this stuff to the auction.  Sigh.

We put the belt on the new old mower and I tried it out.  It works better, but still has some issues that need to be addressed.  I've temporarily backed off on buying a new one.  I figured it doesn't matter, a new one can be commandeered as easily as an old one, so why spend the money?  I did get a new weed wacker which I love.  It's a bit heavy, but if I get in shape, it should be no problem.  It's a Husquevarna.

I did get all my hoses back and then some but now I have to sort them all out and rearrange the irrigation system.  Jim is laid off after today and maybe we can finally tackle some of the big cleanup jobs.  I think the hurricanes are done, so we have to get all the stuff out of the sheds.  I did put my wine making equipment away for the year. 

You'd think that being retired would allow me plenty of time to get all this done with ease, but it just doesn't happen.  The tine goes.

and here are chicken pics

mmmmmm  crackers

rooster leads

Upstaging

bak bak

No Camera, No Pics, Nuts

Jim borred my camera so I got nuthin.  Just played bridge today and not much else.

bak bak

Got the Sun

We finally had the sun peeking out this afternoon after about two weeks of overcast.  I guess my daughter took the clouds back with her.  I hope so for Austin's sake.  It's very quiet without her.  Back to business as usual I guess, once I find out what that is.

Got this shot on the way to take her to the airport.  It looks just like the truck is sleeping...

Don't wake me, I'm driving

That's why I always have my camera with me.

My poor fall garden looks really bad.  Something has eaten almost everything except the lettuce.  I sprayed today with diatomacious earth, but it's probably too late.  My fall gardens never work out.  But I keep trying.

only lettuce left

Got some more mushrooms on this mornings walkies, but no bug art.

fall

colors

fairy wings

spanish dancer

I really should take a course in mycology to see what these things are.

And here are the chicken pics for the day

Now where did I put that bug?

female baybay

buppies in the playground

bak bak

Dreary Deary

It's been overcast for about a week and a half.  It always makes me depressed if I don't see the sun for so long.  So I've been mainly sitting around the house today.  I did go and get my bottle of wine from the amature contest.  I won squat.  So I drank the rest of the bottle.

I also buried the coon Jim shot in the chicken yard yesterday.  I wrapped him in a bag first so no animal could get to him to eat him as I wasn't sure about rabies.  Had a hard time finding a shovel as all my shovels seem to have gravitated to Jim's work site.  Sigh.

My nephew went home yesterday, and my daughter is leaving tomorrow.  It'll be lonely without both of them, so I guess it will be back to business as usual, except I can't do walkies as hunting season starts on Oct 1st.  There have been lots of deer and LOTS of turkey running around this fall.  I see groups of 10 or more turkey hens each time I go out on the road.  They're fun to watch.  I also got a pair of king fishers hanging around the pond yesterday.  And of course, the tree rats.  I swear there are millions this year.  We have a good crop of acorns for them to forage, and of course, they sneak chicken food when they can.

I can't sit on the porch too long to observe these days because the mosquitos will carry you away.  Even the Off doesn't work 100%.  They are just hungry.


I do have some bug art that I got when my sister was here.  I haven't got any lately cause there has been so much rain.

crab on a string

backwards R

And, lastly, a few cocker pics.  JW is a butt, but he is soooo photogenic....

vogue.  vogue

what is that in this pot?

stair mistress

good night and good cluck

bak bak

Wore Out

Early from bed
Chickens fed
Doggie search
Cook for church
Hens oerwroght
Coon gets shot
Worshiped some
Fed Grandmum
Dishes washed
Buppies bossed
Picked up trash
Feet like hash
Supper ate
Cleaned my plate
Watched Hee Haw
Now bed for Maw


Bak (yawn) Bak

Starting Over

Well, I've totally screwed the blog up, so I am starting over and will do my very best to keep in touch every day.

Today was the Muscadine Wine Festival in Kenansville.  Very fun.  You pays your money and they give you a glass and set you loose to sample 150 different wines from 40 different vineyards from all over the state.  My daughter and my nephew went with me this year.  My daughter persuaded me to enter the amature contest with my strawberry lemon wine.  I didn't win anything, but at least I tried.  We walked around, tried the wines, then sat in the Duplin hospitality suite, since I am a member, and listened to the live bands.  Very cool.  The weather was great.  Overcast but no rain. The only downside is the food.  There was not much variety and hardly anything for a veggie like me.  Next year I think I will enter the cooking portion of the contest.  I may have a better shot.  Anyway, we came home with a case and a half of different wines.

roadies on the stage

I've started taking photos of some of the mushrooms around the place, since we have had enough rain to grow lots of shrooms and lots of skitos.

really does look like a stool...

green...

and yellow

 We have had plenty of rain and the pond is full.  The mornings are not as cool as a few weeks ago, but they are still good to walk in, I think.  I have also fallen off on my walking since the mosquitoes will bite me through the Off.  And hunting season starts October, so I need an alternate plan as I am getting out of shape again.

I have cut back my garden to one little corner with collards, cabbages, coliflower, broccoli and lettuce.  I have cut the cockers loose in the rest of it and they are scratching it up and fertilizing it nicely.  I got the last of the cowpeas this week, but the okra is still producing like crazy.  I have made up a new recipe for okra.  I marinate it for an hour in sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and herbs, then roll it in panko and roast it.  Very yummy.  It is now our new best favorite.

And of course, the chickens.  the baybays are now pint sized adults.  the buppies are almost growed.  the hen buppy is trying to assimilate with the others in the big coop.  the buppy roosters are still in the small coop.  they are busy fighting for dominance.  One of them keeps trying to sneak up on the hens and when JW catches him, he will send the buppy flying.  It's very amusing to watch.

so I will end today with chicken movie.

bak bak

Foul Mouth

So, I missed yesterday.

It's been a bad couple of days.

*@&#(#*#&@)$&%)
*#&$(#%)^)^@)?!!

Not in a very pleasant mood at the moment.  I have no beef with Mother Nature, she has been very good to us.  I have no beef with God, He has been very good to us.  I have no beef with the animals, they have been very good to us.  

It's these honkin' machines!!!!

There are three lawn tractors on the place and not one of them works.  There are three weed wackers on the place and not one of them works.  There are four chain saws on the place and not one of them works.  There is a ATV on the place and it doesn't work.  There was a tractor with a bush hog on the place, but it is not here anymore.  There is one me on the place and I am TRYING to work.

SO...

There will never be another used piece of equipment here paid for me by me.  I am getting a new weed wacker, a new mower, and if need be, a new truck to haul them here!  I called my broker this morning....

Whew.  Sorry, I had to get that out.

And the weeds and grass continue to grow.

I've got news about the auction last Saturday and some more bug art and some chicken stuff, but it will have to wait for tomorrow.  Perhaps I will be in a better mood.

BAK effin' BAK

Sometime Routine Be Good

Geez, I hadn't realized how much time has passed since my last post.  I guess I will have to go back to some type of routine, maybe every other day.

Anyhoo, we came through the storm (remember Irene?) right enough.  She sure hung around sight seeing for a while.  We were blessed for 24 hours.  12 of them without power.  However, we have a generator and I had the foresight to fill the propane tank on the monday before, so we didn't lose any groceries.  We didn't lose any trees either, just some limbs.

Here is the evidence:

before...

after

We've had a couple of rains since then, including today from what is left of Lee.  So far we are 2 for 2, of those which have made landfall.  Suffice it to say that I have not taken anything out of the sheds.  Not until November.

The cockers came through just fine.  I had them all stuck in the big coop for the duration.  No trouble with the baybays, but the buppies were hard to convince.  I got a few scratches in the process.  I opened the door on Saturday afternoon.  It was still raining and JW stuck his head out and said Uh Uh.  Therefore, no one was allowed out.  They stayed in for three more hours, then came out.  He definitely rules the roost.  The good part is that the baybay's are now roosting with the adults at night, so I can put away the nursery.

My sister came in on Sunday, one day late.  She kept me busy with the garden and such.  We got the whole upper garden weeded.  What a chore!!!  We also did a different okra recipe each night.  That was kinda fun.  And we took one day to go to the flea market and do some junking.  Way fun!

Got some good bug art each day from our walkies:

deer with necklace

X Y

frog observing mountains

And, dogs with stick

possession

negotiation

co-operation

And, leaving you with chicken pic

What is this place!!!!?????

more tomorrow

bak bak